DIY Cab - Finally decided it was time

[chim]

Hyd - mec is serious saw material..... ....................................... If the cab extends past the fenders how are you going to fill the space between the fender and the steel structure ? Your post proves one does not have to be a professional metals person to construct a cab.

Thanks guys. That saw is awesome. It has a hydraulic vise that grabs the material being cut with the flick of a lever. Another lever raises and lowers the saw.

The amount of sealing things will depend on how much heat leaks out / cold leaks in. The cab fits fairly tight across the back. I filled under the seat with a piece of "cow mat" cut to fit pretty closely. The sides do have about 3/8 of an inch between the cab and the upper part of the fender. These areas will probably get some of that stick-on foam weatherstripping stuck to the cab.

As the fender curves down the gap increases quite a bit. For the curved part of the framing I used 1/2 x 1 steel tube because it seemed a better candidate for bending than the 1 x 1 the rest is made from. The 1/2 x 1 follows the curve of the fender closely enough I plan to fasten a strip of conveyor belt or similar material to the bottom of the 1/2 x 1. Sort of an ingrown fender flare. That would leave about 1/4" gap between the top of the rubber to the bottom edge of the fender. If it's too drafty maybe a few slices of a "memory foam" mattress topper we no longer use will help.

Things are being laid out to avoid contact between the cab and tractor as best I can. When the cab is removed in the spring the tractor shouldn't have rub marks and scratches.

There are some hurdles to go, but you're correct about not needing to be a professional to build a cab. A lot of research of old threads and noting the successes and pitfalls of others who have been there before me really helped. It was still intimidating to pull the Kubota into the shop and look at the cart of metal that was supposed to be a cab.

 

[mjncad]

Very nice work Chim, and you're lucky to be able to do the fab work at your employer's shop! I suggest you check McMaster-Carr McMaster-Carr for various types of weatherstripping to seal your cab and glass work. With the effort you're putting into this project; there is no sense in cobbling together weatherstripping from other materials that may or may not work.

By the way; don't you just hate grinding welds? I know I do.

That is an interesting coincidence concerning your comment about clamps and my signature line.

 

[chim]

Very nice work Chim, and you're lucky to be able to do the fab work at your employer's shop! I suggest you check McMaster-Carr McMaster-Carr for various types of weatherstripping to seal your cab and glass work. With the effort you're putting into this project; there is no sense in cobbling together weatherstripping from other materials that may or may not work.

By the way; don't you just hate grinding welds? I know I do.

That is an interesting coincidence concerning your comment about clamps and my signature line.

Thank you. Don't know why I didn't think of McM/C before. They are on our vendor's list and have what I've been looking for. The sentiment on clamps is probably shared by all those who like to make things. I'm working on the cab this week on a "stay-cation" and hope to have it completed soon.

 

[chim]

Got back at it today and made some serious headway. I started attaching the brackets that will hold the different sections of the cab together. The plan is to use a gasket between the sections. To help align the pieces and compress the gasket there's a pry hole in the tab.

Another of the photos is taken at a more straight-on angle of the right fender. A previous picture from a different angle made it look like the hand bent radius is a lot worse than it is.

Last shot is of the left side. Just a couple more pieces to frame around the door and then on to door frame fab and adding flanges for the glass.

mjncad - McMaster is shipping gasket material today/tomorrow. Thanks again.

 

[Cigar Face]

Lookin god. Better hurry up though. Big snow will be here soon. I was out in the snow today. Only downside is you have to open door to let farts out

 

[600rider]

will you cab have doors on both sides? I made on years ago for a Ford 1310 I had and made it with one and hated it!!! When I got the Kubota B7510 I retrofitted the cab to it and resigned it to have 2 doors and am soooo glad I did!!! I also echo the sentiment about you can never have too many clamps!

 

[CBW1999]

will you cab have doors on both sides? I made on years ago for a Ford 1310 I had and made it with one and hated it!!! When I got the Kubota B7510 I retrofitted the cab to it and resigned it to have 2 doors and am soooo glad I did!!! I also echo the sentiment about you can never have too many clamps!

Did you post any pics of your cab on another thread? I have a B7510 and am interested in seeing how you fabricated it. I just don't want to hijack this thread..

 

[chim]

will you cab have doors on both sides? I made on years ago for a Ford 1310 I had and made it with one and hated it!!! When I got the Kubota B7510 I retrofitted the cab to it and resigned it to have 2 doors and am soooo glad I did!!! I also echo the sentiment about you can never have too many clamps!

It will have two doors. The right door won't get used unless something happens that prevents me from using the left one. The plan is to remove the cab in warm weather but it might be nice to lift both doors off during the transition in the spring and fall.

Cigar Face - we had a dusting here today. I'm hoping to wrap up the build really soon.

 

[mjncad]

I love McMaster-Carr's selection and customer service, which helps take some of the sting out of their prices.

 

[RockyNY]

chim, perhaps I missed it, but do you plan to bolt the sections together for easy removal? I'm planning a cab for next year and want to go with a modular design so it can be removed in sections instead of the whole works.